Senatobia school bus driver left kids in a hot bus

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Senatobia school bus driver left kids in a hot bus

SENATOBIA, Miss.– No air conditioner windows up and left on the bus. A Senatobia school bus driver is off the job after police and the school district said that’s what he did.

Parents are irate and demanding answers.

The Senatobia Police Department is now looking into the case.

“My heart right now is just broken. I mean I just broke down when I heard about it. My 10-year-old called me, let me know the situation that hey we’re on the bus. I’m just hurt right now,” said mother, Samantha Hill.

Mother Samantha Hill is not alone.

“I was in tears and I didn’t find out until I actually made it home,” said Felinesha Newson.

Newson and Hill have multiple children they say were stuck on a hot bus in front of the old Pizza Hut in Senatobia. According to police its unknown why the driver pulled the bus over on the route home from school. Many believe it’s because he thought the children were being unruly. According to police the driver turned off the air conditioner, made sure the windows were rolled up then got off the bus with some 40 children on board. Senatobia Superintendent Jay Foster said as soon his office got word the bus was pulled over an assistant superintendent and transportation director went to see what was going on.

“My assistant superintendent got there. She found in fact, the windows were up on the bus. It was very hot, she immediately got on the bus, started the bus running, cut the AC on. She immediately contacted the police to come to the scene,” he said.

Some parents picked up their children from the scene while the transportation director took the rest home. Officers got the call around 3:30 p.m. but said it’s unknown how long the students, ranging in age from elementary and up were sitting in the parking lot.

Newson said when her children arrived home they were dehydrated.

“And drank two bottles of water like that because they were so hot and their hair was wet from sweat. My daughter’s hair Latin down on her head wet from sweat, and her face was red,” she said.

On Thursday Foster said his office acted quickly, his district does not condone what the driver did and the driver is no longer with the district.

The Senatobia Police Chief Police said right now the driver is not facing charges, news Hill and Newson aren’t happy about.

“I mean anything could’ve happened. He didn’t know their medical conditions or anything of that nature,” said Newson.

Police were called to the scene two weeks ago, but the police report is not complete. The Senatobia Police Chief said if parents want to press charges they need to come to a department. If the driver does face criminal charges its unknown what they would be. The district is looking at a video on the bus; they are not releasing.

Foster also said the district talked to the drivers to reiterate that leaving kids on a hot bus is never OK.